May 7, 2012

According to multiple reports, UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz has a torn ACL and will no longer face Urijah Faber at UFC 148. MMAJunkie.com has confirmed the reports while the UFC is yet to comment on the situation.

Cruz and Faber were originally set to be the main event of the July card before scheduling issues forced the much anticipated Anderson Silva v. Chael Sonnen rematch to be booked as the main event for the card. UFC 148 was to be the site of the rubber match between the two bantamweights as Faber won the first at WEC 26 via submission and in Cruz avenged the defeat with a unanimous-decision victory at UFC 132.

It is not yet known what the UFC plans to do with Faber. The situation is further complicated by the fact that Cruz and Faber have at least 1 more month of filming of the Ultimate Fighter to complete. Given the UFC's usual MO, however, it is unlikely that Faber will be moved off the card. In what is either a happy accident or the sign of pure genius of Joe Silva's part, Renan Barao (#3 in the It's MMAzing rankings) is already booked to fight Ivan Menjivar at UFC 148. It makes sense for the UFC set up either a #1 contender's or interim title fight between Barao and Faber for that card. Either way, Cruz's injury has left the UFC in an unfortunate position as another division has been brought to a halt by a champion's injury.